The Great Imitator was Nando’s first attempt at a plant-based alternative to its famous peri peri chicken. The restaurant promised that even meat-lovers fans wouldn't be able to taste the difference between its chicken dishes and The Great Imitator, and the wrap quickly earned a legion of fans. So, Nando's customers were shocked when the restaurant pulled the item from its menus across the UK in 2024. Already people are desperate to see it back.

Jollibee is famous for its 'crispylicious' and 'juicylicious' Chickenjoy, and let's be honest, there are only so many ways to improve upon fried chicken. But in 2009, Jollibee found a way with the arrival of its Chicken Barbecue. Served with rice, it had all the goodness of Chickenjoy coupled with a smoky barbecue glaze. The dish had its fans, but it didn't stick around for long and has yet to return to the menu.

McDonald’s created the Angus Third Pounder for the US market in 2009 after a franchisee asked for a bigger burger for the menu. This new creation had a generous patty and deluxe toppings such as thick slices of bacon, mushrooms and Swiss cheese. But while those luxurious toppings made for a great burger, they were also reportedly too expensive. This resulted in the Angus Third Pounder being dropped in the US in 2013. Angus burger options are still available in some countries, including Australia.

Can you remember when the Crab Sandwich graced McDonald’s menus? It featured delicate snow crab blended with a mayonnaise dressing and celery chunks, finished with tomato and lettuce, served on a toasty sourdough bun. It was only available in Maryland and Virginia, USA in 2003 and, despite being a hit with seafood fans, it was swiftly taken off menus. It returned briefly in 2017 at a branch in San Jose, California, but has remained discontinued ever since.  

In 2010, Burger King outlets in the US introduced fast food pork ribs to its menu, and they were an incredible success. Customers said the ribs were smoky and meaty and really hit the spot. The ribs were initially slated for a ten-week run, but they sold out before the promotional period and sadly never came back. People were willing to pay more than $7 (£5.60) for the ribs, so it seems strange that they haven't returned to menus yet.

In 2012, McDonald's took the somewhat unusual step of launching Asian-inspired noodle dishes... in Austria. Noodle boxes were hugely popular in the country at the time, and McDonald's smartly tried to capitalise on the trend with two new dishes. McNoodles consisted of chicken and vegetables tossed with noodles and topped with your choice of curry or sweet and sour sauce. They launched nationwide but were discontinued after a short time and haven't been back on the menu since. 

Quick is a fast food chain with locations throughout Belgium and France. It usually specialises in burgers and fries, much like better-known brands such as McDonald's and Burger King. But in 2011, Quick briefly tried something new with the creation of Le Double Mix. It was a novelty burger-sandwich hybrid with two distinct halves. Both sections had a beef patty and cheese, but the first half was topped with a peppercorn sauce, while the second half included Brie fondue. As intriguing as that mix sounds, the item didn't last.

Harvey's has been serving the good people of Canada since 1959, and the chain is still going strong today. The restaurant gave people the chance to customise their burger toppings long before Five Guys came on the scene, but it's hard to think of better toppings than those offered in Harvey's line of short-lived Ringer burgers. These featured the same 100% Canadian patties as offered elsewhere, but the bun was further stuffed with melted Cheddar cheese and crispy onion rings.

McDonald's in Hong Kong didn't shy away from unusual flavour combinations when it crafted the Shogun Burger. The dish combines a pork patty, teriyaki sauce, an egg and lemon-tinged mayo. Yet the burger gained a cult following amongst locals, and the Shogun Burger has come and gone to much fanfare on multiple occasions, though it hasn't been seen since 2023.

While McDonald’s may be loved for its Big Mac and Chicken McNuggets, some fans are still calling for the return of the Grilled Chicken Flatbread, which vanished from US menus over two decades ago. This simple flatbread came crammed with grilled chicken, pepper Jack cheese, grilled onions, tomato and lettuce and arrived on menus in 2002, before being discontinued a year later. People particularly loved it for its irresistibly creamy herb sauce that hasn’t been replicated on any other products since. That said, similar items have been available in other global markets over the years, including Cyprus’ Grilled Chicken Pitta from 2019. 

Taco Bell wanted a larger slice of the fast food breakfast pie in 2014, so it released the Waffle Taco. It featured a sausage patty or bacon, scrambled eggs and cheese wrapped inside a waffle and served with a side of syrup. One of the first breakfast items ever debuted by the chain, when it was discontinued in 2015 the Waffle Taco had so many fans a petition was started to bring it back.

Fast food fans around the world couldn't believe that McDonald's in Greece had a Greek Mac – which is kind of like a Big Mac in kebab form. It featured two beef patties, onions, lettuce, tomato and lemon sauce inside pitta bread, and first caught people's attention in 2022. McDonald's patrons in the UK demanded the chain bring it to their shores, but the Greek Mac has yet to make the trip. In fact, the dish isn't even available in Greece anymore.

McDonald's opened in India in 1996 and has constantly reinvented its menu to cater to local tastes. These days, items such as the McAloo Tikki Burger (featuring a spicy fried vegetarian patty) or the Veg Maharaja Mac (a veggie take on a Big Mac) bring in curious customers. But before it was taken off the menu, the McCurry Pan was also a hit. It featured curried vegetables in a sauce served on a crispy crust. There was an option to add chicken, too.

Poutine is a classic Canadian dish, and Arby's found a way to incorporate it into its menu in 2021. The Poutine Dip Sandwich was a toasted sub roll crammed with roast beef, curly fries and Quebec cheese curds served drowning in gravy – with even more gravy on the side. It was successful enough to force Arby's to return the Poutine Dip Sandwich to restaurants the following year, but we haven't seen it since.

While many love a toweringly tall burger option, some can’t get enough of miniature sliders. At least that’s what Burger King thought when it introduced its BK Burger Shots in the late 2000s. Available in servings of two or six, these bites featured a small beef patty, ketchup, mustard and pickles, all squashed inside an equally tiny bun. Unfortunately, they didn’t stick around for long and these days US diners head to fast food chain White Castle to get their slider fix instead.

Taco Bell fans are nostalgic for plenty of the chain's discontinued dishes, including Meximelts and Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos. But one of the most longed for menu items is the Double Decker, a beef-filled crunchy taco wrapped inside a soft refried bean–covered flour tortilla. It was brutally expelled from the permanent menu in 2019 and has only made limited appearances in Taco Bell restaurants in 2023 and 2024. 

McDonald’s Pizza gained fans at some restaurants in the US and UK in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. The tasty personal pizza treat had four slices with toppings that included cheese, pepperoni, green peppers and onions. But it never truly caught on, partly because of slower cooking times and the box being too big for drive-thru windows. There's now just one location (in Orlando, Florida) that serves pizza – but it's not quite the same as this throwback pie.

Burger King became the first major US fast food chain to launch a grilled chicken sandwich with 1990’s BK Broiler. It was one of the most successful fast food launches ever – before it was beaten by the release of the Chicken Whopper in 2002. But even the Chicken Whopper's success couldn't last, and it was eventually pulled from menus. In 2024, though, BK announced it would once again roll out flame-grilled chicken sandwiches in select US markets, but these arguably aren't quite as good. 

In late 2013, Taco Bell announced the arrival of the Grilled Stuft Nacho. Even though the only thing 'nacho' about the menu item was its shape, people quickly fell in love with this flour tortilla stuffed with beef, cheesy jalapeño sauce, sour cream and red peppers. After it was discontinued, fans sent love letters and petitions to beg Taco Bell to bring it back, and they were delighted when it briefly returned in 2015. But it hasn't been seen again since.

Burger King's UK fans called for the return of the Double Mushroom Swiss so often that the chain had to ask them to stop. The juicy burger featured two beef patties, melted Swiss cheese and a rich mushroom sauce, all balanced inside a sesame seed bun. But despite being available at other Burger King outlets, including those in Malaysia, it hasn't been seen on a UK menu in over 20 years. That doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon, either.

The Cheesarito was included on Taco Bell’s first menu, and it proved a favourite with its customers. After all, what's not to like about melted cheese, spring onions and taco sauce rolled up in a soft tortilla? It's kind of like having a grilled cheese burrito, so its discontinuation was a bit of a mystery. Fans have even tried to hack the Taco Bell menu to make their own by ordering a bean burrito without the beans, then adding extra cheese and taco sauce.

In 1997 McDonald's faced serious competition from Burger King and its all-conquering Whopper. To try to win back some sales, McDonald's introduced the Big n’ Tasty. The burger featured a quarter-pound beef patty with tomato, lettuce, onions and ‘new sauce’ in a sesame seed bun. After the Big n’ Tasty proved a hit, McDonald's rolled it out across the US in 2000. It lasted for 11 strong years before it was scrapped for good in 2011. Variants, including the UK's Big Tasty, are still available elsewhere in the world.

Cheesy, buttery garlic bread is hard to resist, so when Subway unveiled its version in 2018, fans grew excited. Initially available in select US stores, the Ultimate Cheesy Garlic Bread featured a garlic butter spread, melted Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese, all on a soft foot-long sub. Following its success, the item was released to global markets, including Australia and the UK, in 2019. It has unfortunately been discontinued entirely.

Cini Minis were tasty, bite-sized cinnamon rolls that Burger King claimed were 'the best part of the cinnamon roll in every bite' when it launched them in 1998. A pack of four cost just 99 cents, and the menu item earned a legion of fans. After BK discontinued Cini Minis, devotees launched an online petition, amassing over 2,000 signatures, to bring them back. They staged a brief return in 2018, but that was it.

McDonald's has been able to survive and thrive in countries all over the world because of its ability to adapt to local tastes and demands. So when the restaurant wanted to appeal to Spanish fast food fans, it included items on the menu such as gazpacho and the McIbérica. The McIbérica sandwich was a toasted baguette stuffed with a beef patty topped with jamón Ibérico, Manchego cheese, olive oil, lettuce and tomato. It was on menus in 2011, but it's nowhere to be seen today.

The mere mention of Greggs in the UK will inspire fans to wax lyrical about its sausage rolls, pasties and bakes. But, while the bakery chain is thriving, there are still some customers who long for the pasties and puddings that have been lost to time. A particular fan favourite was the Ham and Cheese Pasty. Filled with a creamy béchamel sauce and slices of ham, it was guaranteed to hit the spot. Still, the item was removed from menus circa 2015.

The Tower Burger, a crispy Original Chicken fillet with lettuce, cheese, mayo and a hash brown, has been a fan favourite since it launched in 1997. However, this classic chicken sandwich was dropped in Australia in 2018 and has only briefly returned in 2021 and 2023 – despite it being the most requested burger in Australian KFC history. "We encourage you to get in quick as you never know when it’ll make its next return to Aussie shores,” said Sally Spriggs, CMO at KFC Australia.

In 2010, McDonald's tried to impress its German customers with a bratwurst menu item called the Nürnburger. But after that failed to pick up, the chain tried again in 2013 and went all out. The McCurrywurst hit the menu with the hope of boosting sales and getting people talking. It may have worked for a time, but it's not on offer in the country anymore. Bratwurst is always such a crowd-pleaser, though, surely this one is due a comeback soon?

McDonald's charged a fraction of the price for its lobster roll compared to those available pretty much anywhere else – and that's partly why it's been removed from menus. It was introduced in North America in 1992 and regularly appeared at outlets in Canada and New England during the summer, when lobsters are abundant. But its price depended on the value of lobster each season, and that's been increasing steadily for years. Apparently the McLobster won't return until the company can put it out at 'a reasonable price'.

A cherished US-exclusive menu item since the 1990s, KFC’s Potato Wedges had a strong fanbase thanks to their crispy coating and pillowy interior. So, when the chicken chain removed the potato-based side in 2020, fast food devotees were devastated. While an online petition was started to bring the hero menu item back, KFC confirmed that the wedges would be replaced with the brand’s new Secret Recipe Fries, and they haven’t been seen since.

Georgie Pie was a much-loved New Zealand fast food chain that operated for 20 years, before closing in 1998. Luckily for die-hard fans, McDonald's brought a taste of the brand back in 2005, selling its iconic Steak Mince ‘N’ Cheese pie through its New Zealand restaurants. The good days weren't to last forever, though, and McDonald's called time on the small pies in 2020. It said the pies took too long to cook and the oven equipment 'would require significant reinvestment to replace'.

Burger King’s Angry Whopper is arguably the most popular variant of the classic Whopper that the restaurant has ever released. As well as a spicy 'Angry Sauce,' the burger consists of jalapeño slices, pepper Jack cheese and fiery fried onions all on top of its signature flame-grilled patty. It was introduced in the US in 2009 and quickly gained a loyal following. Since it was discontinued, Burger King has brought it back for limited runs – but never as a permanent menu item.

In 2010, KFC in the US released the Double Down – a sandwich that replaced burger buns with fried chicken pieces and featured bacon, cheese and sauce in the middle. People got very excited about it, resulting in the unusual burger expanding to other territories. It was only supposed to be available for a limited time, but proved so popular KFC announced the Double Down would remain available indefinitely. However, it was phased out by the end of 2014. It has returned to global menus on multiple occasions but hasn't become the permanent fixture many expected.

By crossing an Original Chicken Sandwich with a chicken Parm, Burger King created one of its most mouthwatering menu items of all time. The Italian Original Chicken Sandwich featured breaded chicken slathered in marinara sauce and mozzarella in a long, sesame seed bun. It certainly turned fans' heads in the 1980s, yet was still discontinued. It retuned momentarily in 2021 – but the tasty sub has been consigned to history ever since. We say bring it back!

Now discover McDonald's menus from around the world

Last updated by Lottie Woodrow.